ERIC Number: EJ1016856
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013-Dec
Pages: 10
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1043-4046
EISSN: N/A
A Novel Approach to Teach the Generation of Bioelectrical Potentials from a Descriptive and Quantitative Perspective
Rodriguez-Falces, Javier
Advances in Physiology Education, v37 n4 p327-336 Dec 2013
In electrophysiology studies, it is becoming increasingly common to explain experimental observations using both descriptive methods and quantitative approaches. However, some electrophysiological phenomena, such as the generation of extracellular potentials that results from the propagation of the excitation source along the muscle fiber, are difficult to describe and conceptualize. In addition, most traditional approaches aimed at describing extracellular potentials consist of complex mathematical machinery that gives no chance for physical interpretation. The aim of the present study is to present a new method to teach the formation of extracellular potentials around a muscle fiber from both a descriptive and quantitative perspective. The implementation of this method was tested through a written exam and a satisfaction survey. The new method enhanced the ability of students to visualize the generation of bioelectrical potentials. In addition, the new approach improved students' understanding of how changes in the fiber-to-electrode distance and in the shape of the excitation source are translated into changes in the extracellular potential. The survey results show that combining general principles of electrical fields with accurate graphic imagery gives students an intuitive, yet quantitative, feel for electrophysiological signals and enhances their motivation to continue their studies in the biomedical engineering field.
Descriptors: Physiology, Human Body, Electronics, Teaching Methods, Visual Aids, Biomedicine, Engineering Education, Medical Education, Graduate Students, Student Surveys, Satisfaction, Science Tests, Science Achievement, Instructional Effectiveness, Foreign Countries
American Physiological Society. 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814-3991. Tel: 301-634-7164; Fax: 301-634-7241; e-mail: webmaster@the-aps.org; Web site: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2825/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Spain
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A